Shite in Miniature II

[Datsuncog]

Haven't had so much time to mess around with diecast lately... the garden tidy-up has now morphed into a full remodelling project - and you can guess who's doing the donkey work.

So earlier there was a delivery:

There's a tonne of 14mm stone...

Two tonnes of builder's sand...

And a tonne of topsoil...

Hang on, topsoil?

Or is it...

 

The world's heaviest portable* construction playset?

Now that's more like it.

I'll be honest, it's decades since these have had any use at all.

And yet they're still in perfect working order.

This Corgi Juniors Massey Ferguson has lived in my toybox since forever; apparently even older versions can be found with Husky bases. In my younger days I always thought it a bit small to tie in with my other cars; but today it's earning its keep.

This Matchbox MB26 Site Dumper may well have been owned from new; I don't remember acquiring it, but I do recall it being rediscovered in a border one day, encrusted in mud after many a long year AWOL.

Although given a cursory clean at the time, thirty-odd years on it still has quite a lot of patina from its adventures... and more being acquired as we go.

The articulated Leyland tipper isn't my original, sadly - I had one in metallic blue with a silver trailer, but somewhere the cab went missing. Still, this is more than up to the job. Seventies Superfast fantasy truck would have annoyed me a few years ago, but now I kinda like it. A more recent market find, that one.

MB58 Faun Dump Truck and MB29 Tractor Shovel are both DC originals, and both show signs of having been well used over the years. It's been a while since either got a chance to do their thing - not since the early '90s, at a guess.

Mack tractor unit is a recent find, replacing a lost military green version that I became very attached to when I was 8, because it was similar to Kris Kristofferson's rig in the film Convoy...

Corgi Juniors trailer and Matchbox Bomag Roller are recent tat box escapees, and even though none of these models match, it pleases me...

This cheapo Corgi came as part of a gift set, and generally annoyed me because of it's small size and the silver windows, which made it little better than a cheapo 50p Shop no-name toy in my opinion. It never got played with, and had lived in my toybox, unloved, since about 1988.

Today is its chance to shine.

 

Lone Star Impy Range Rover makes quite a decent site engineer vehicle; I know Matchbox produced an orange version of their Rolamatics Range Rover in such a livery, but I only have a coupla police ones. This one does the job nicely.

Transit Mk1 dropside has been in my hands for a good while; long enough to get attacked with the inevitable silver Tamiya paint pen back in the 1990s anyway. It's otherwise in fairly decent nick.

It's been a fair while since any of these have seen the sunlight. Good to blow the cobwebs away.

[Datsuncog]

But, of course, I can't be playing all day - there's work to be done.

And I was at it for hours, shifting topsoil.

So you can imagine my disappointment when around lunchtime, MrsDC pronounced herself dissatisfied at my "abject lack of progress".

Well, excuse me.

I may have become a bit snippy, and advised that if only I'd managed to pick up some of the market stall Superkings, then I could be done in half the time - only I was trying not to bring too much tat into the house.

Can you imagine the extra capacity I'd have if only I'd bought the Dodge Tipper and trailer?

Daaah. What a missed opportunity.

But like, I'm throwing all I can at the job, despite limitations.

You can only work with what you've got, right?

But I'm not looking forward to cementing those paving slabs tomorrow, I'll tell you that.

[Split_Pin]

My wife made me a new man cave in the smaller front bedroom and has sensibly changed the larger shared Toy Room into the guest bedroom so I have spent the last 2 days moving all my diecast. It's nice to have a proper look at some that have been languishing at the back of a shelf.

Anyway, spotted these old E46 for a WDIB challenge.

Un-named tat on the left, Realtoy in the middle and Majorette on the right which has opening doors.

[Tenmil Socket]

11 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

My wife made me a new man cave in the smaller front bedroom and has sensibly changed the larger shared Toy Room into the guest bedroom so I have spent the last 2 days moving all my diecast. It's nice to have a proper look at some that have been languishing at the back of a shelf.

Anyway, spotted these old E46 for a WDIB challenge.

Un-named tat on the left, Realtoy in the middle and Majorette on the right which has opening doors.

Middle one

[Tenmil Socket]

@Datsuncog I remember when I bought my house about 14 years ago (a lot younger then) and I only shifted 1 tonne of top soil from the front to the back and I was knackered and aching the day after so good luck !

[DoctorRetro]

Picked up these from Poundland today (on an essential trip of course) 

[warch]

I'm loving all this back garden toy stuff, it's what toys were born to do, not sit in collections or worse still MIB.

In the spirit of fantasy, my 1/87 Herpa(?) Volvo  Mercedes (thanks Eddy) 2238 and non matched low loader is featured delivering some Landies to an unspecified outback location. The new owner will wish he'd specified Land Cruisers rather than those 'bloody pom 4x4s' once he's had to drive 1000km in 40 degree heat in one of them.

I'm a big fan of Outback Truckers which to my untrained eye seems to have quite a lot of elderly and hence shiteworthy trucks featured. I think the 2238, a V8 engined model  from the 70s or 80s was quite popular in Aus back in the day. 

[DoctorRetro]

Pretty much finished now. 

@RobT, drop me a line with your address and I'll post it to you ?

[bunglebus]

Maisto 356...

 

20200422_171912 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

 

...looks a damn sight better with "Empi" wheels pinched off a Fast and Furious Chevy Impala, a bit of lowering and some detail

 

20200423_120628 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

20200423_120537 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

20200423_120551 by Rich Secker, on Flickr

[bunglebus]

Having a play with yet another Vantastic, the non-engine one. Got rid of the roofrack, mystery item on the bonnet will hopefully make sense once it's done

 

20200423_181219 by RS, on Flickr

[big_al_granvia]

@Flat4 is finally making a contribution to the fred.. Seeing as we have a ovlov

[eddyramrod]

On 4/23/2020 at 8:32 PM, warch said:

I'm loving all this back garden toy stuff, it's what toys were born to do, not sit in collections or worse still MIB.

In the spirit of fantasy, my 1/87 Herpa(?) Volvo 2238 and non matched low loader is featured delivering some Landies to an unspecified outback location. The new owner will wish he'd specified Land Cruisers rather than those 'bloody pom 4x4s' once he's had to drive 1000km in 40 degree heat in one of them.

I'm a big fan of Outback Truckers which to my untrained eye seems to have quite a lot of elderly and hence shiteworthy trucks featured. I think the 2238, a V8 engined model  from the 70s or 80s was quite popular in Aus back in the day. 

Volvo?  Are you sure?

[Datsuncog]

Not that I'm in any way seeking to procrastinate on the day's activities through the medium of yet more of my old toybox survivors...

Go on, guess the film.

 

 

Ok, so not exactly a frame for frame re-enactment, but vehicle choice was surprisingly constrained and was I was somewhat distracted/rendered self-conscious by the neighbours coming out, so ended up rushing things a bit more than I would have liked...

Anyone else fancy a crack at some *extremely* approximate diecast scene recreation from classic shiter movies?

(And yes, I know the Buddy L Peterbilt is pressed steel, not diecast!)

[MiniMort]

Holy moly that’s impressive! How long did that take you? The film seems familiar but I can’t  think of the name

[warch]

Very Duel.

Is that the wonderfully named Holmes wrecker man driving the Pug?

[Skizzer]

Whoever he is, he’s the dead spit of Dennis Weaver. 143/10 for attention to detail.

Brilliant.

[Datsuncog]

32 minutes ago, warch said:

Very Duel.

Heh, you're right!

32 minutes ago, warch said:

Is that the wonderfully named Holmes wrecker man driving the Pug?

It is indeed, also well spotted!

He should look a little more like this...

But hey, improvisation!

45 minutes ago, MiniMort said:

Holy moly that’s impressive! How long did that take you?

Not that long really - maybe 10 minutes outside with my phone? It's funny how the withering contempt of your neighbours can sharpen the old creative processes somewhat...

I did need to do two shoots though, one to get the general storyboard, the other to fill in some of the more specific shots half-remembered from the actual film.

As always though, it's the editing process that takes the longest! Trying to crop out the adjoining houses, cars and the blindingly white builders bag in order to preserve the magic was probably the most challenging bit.

Still, glad you liked - I'd intended to do something more Matchbox scale, but was shocked to realise the Buddy L is the only tanker in the DC collection. So everything had to move up to 1/35-ish scale...

[Skizzer]

I think it’s uncanny.

[flat4alfa]

Crikey Dennis Weaver leaves the Holmes Wrecker at the workshop and pops out in his company Peugeot, shocker ?

The world needs more 1:28 - 1/36 action !

And don’t apologise for using a pressed steel truck....  it’s all the better as it could* be bent into other shapes.... one minute it’s a Peterbuilt, the next it could be passing for a Kenworth W900 driven by a certain Cledus 'Snowman' Snow.  The afternoons will never be the same again

[flat4alfa]

And and not forgetting

TAT FRIDAY

MARKET BLOKEY

BEST WISHES

[Jon]

34 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

 

As always though, it's the editing process that takes the longest! Trying to crop out the adjoining houses, cars and the blindingly white builders bag in order to preserve the magic was probably the most challenging bit.

 

 

Indeed! Actually, my editing is mostly all done during the 'shoot':

 

 

From this:

 

That was quite an early days go at it for me.

 

 

 

I'm not that far from 40 years old. As you can see, I am developing well for my age.

 

Out the way, inquiso-cat!

[Frogchod]

Essential deliveries from la Post today. 

Fiberglass to fix the reliant and an 

IES Super America. 

 

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Skizzer said:

I think it’s uncanny.

‘He can’t beat me on the grade!!!’

’He’s got some some souped up diesel, my cars just not that powerful, I can’t be doing 80mph!’

’Swiss cheese on Rye, that’s R-Y-E...’

 

[Reluctant Adult]

[DoctorRetro]

Received a parcel or two today. One from @flat4alfa and one from ebay. 

 

And so begins my mission to build an Escort estate for littlun... 

Choppy choppy time. Decided to save the white shell in case I made a mistake. 

Cut the back off the metro to make the estate part. Problem 1 is that it's too wide. 

We'll sort that later. 

Testing a chassis /interior/wheels

 

 

Had to have a mess around with the metro body... 

Chassis fits OK - after a bit of modification 

Modelling lights / grille

Using the 6R4 body kit to create bumpers

 

Roof trimmed and rejoined 

[bunglebus]

5 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Go on, guess the film.

 

You didn't blow the Valiant Peugeot up at the end. 2/10 must try harder

[bunglebus]

Got this done today, bit of modification to remove the weird spoiler thing between the rear wings, three different colours and some pink sparkles under a few coats of clear

Had an enormous casting mark at the front of the bonnet so pleased with how that came out

 

20190403_114156 by RS, on Flickr

20200424_134945 by RS, on Flickr

20200424_134927 by RS, on Flickr

20200424_135029 by RS, on Flickr

 

Decided this Tootsietoy VW needed some love, they only came in purple and red as far as I can tell but I like yellow Beetles. I'll add some detail tomorrow.

Most of the examples I can find have broken bumpers but somehow this has survived. It's a pretty crap casting, loads of flash needed to be removed and there was a dent in the roof I had to fill.

 

20200210_123530 by RS, on Flickr

20200424_173859 by RS, on Flickr

20200424_173910 by RS, on Flickr

20200424_173926 by RS, on Flickr

 

Finally, donor grille supplied by @flat4alfa stripped, painted and fitted to my otherwise very good truck

 

20200424_174437 by RS, on Flickr

[DoctorRetro]

Sprayed a light coat of matt black over to assess where filler / finishing needed. Don't think it looks too bad tbh. 

 

[bunglebus]

At least plastic is easy to sand. A bit of filler and it'll be good to go

[warch]

9 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Volvo?  Are you sure?

Was it the Mercedes badge on the front that aroused your suspicions?